Twitcher
Twitchers are first encountered in the ruins of the [[USM Valor|USM Valor]], later spreading into the [[USG Ishimura|USG Ishimura]]. They additionally appear on Aegis VII and on the Sprawl in the Dead Space 2 DLC Dead Space 2: Severed. Description The Twitchers are the result of the Necromorph infection contaminating the corpses of people who were equipped with Stasis modules (such as soldiers or security personnel). They are physically similar to Slashers. A disturbing side effect of the transformation is that the Stasis Modules the security personnel were equipped with became fused with the resulting creature, and the effect of the Stasis Module is strangely reversed, with terrifying results. Because of the Stasis Module merged into their bodies, Twitchers can react and move several times faster than any other Necromorph variant, making them very hard to hit before they close in to melee range. It also causes them to have highly erratic and spastic movements, and their features seem to blur as they move when seen close up. Due to their incredible speed, they are very capable of dodging Isaac's weapons in harder difficulties when they see it coming. They also make distinctive jabbering noises when they get close. Their name is derived from their constant twitching and spasmodic behavior. Their design is similar to that of a Slasher; however, this is hard to notice due to their speed. Their heads, legs and bodies, retain a vaguely human form, albeit much chunkier and muscular than Slashers. They lack the small chest appendages of the Slashers, but their talons are much larger. Their heads have a massive, hollowed-out indentation on the top of the skull, and tiny tentacles fill the gap. They also seem to be missing both their eyes. Furthermore, their faces seem to be almost static; they never change their facial expression, which is fixed in a blank and hollow stare. The armor they are fused to is partially visible though gaps in their skin, and two large sections protrude from their backs like the closed wings of a beetle. They have a very beetle-like appearance, combining the armor on their back, their hunched form, and their front limbs, which are reminiscent of an insect. The infected Titan Station Security Officers remain largely humanoid and still wear most of their armor, so they don't seem to be as extensively infected as the Valor's marines. However, they are still just as deadly. Strategy *Increased speed aside, these Necromorphs are essentially a variant of the Slasher. *Twitchers will fake death if their legs are removed. Do not turn your back on them, or they will crawl up and attack, taking you by surprise, given their speed. *Twitchers will often feign death as a Slasher will (more often when their arms are cut off). The way to tell if a Twitcher is playing dead is the same as a Slasher, look for a death animation! *Using Stasis on a Twitcher overrides the effect of its own Stasis module and brings its speed down to that of any other Necromorph under Stasis. *Distance is your best friend. As such, while they're still charging you, use a weapon with an instantaneous projectile speed, such as the Plasma Cutter or the Pulse Rifle. They're quite capable of dodging a Line Gun beam when they see it coming. *In Easy mode, they either don't notice the Line Gun shots or aren't programmed to dodge them; they'll often run straight at you no matter what you shoot them with. A single powered up Line Gun shot across the upper torso will cut off both arms, killing them instantly. *Don't misjudge their running speed. The moment one is a few meters away from you, switch to an area-of-effect attack such as the Contact Beam's secondary attack, or fire a shot with the Force Gun just before it reaches Isaac to simultaneously knock it back and deal some heavy damage to it. Also, be ready to heavily rely upon these splash-damage attacks if multiple Twitchers converge upon you. *Pulse Rifle rounds do a good job of keeping them from moving, but don't just focus on the Twitcher. Remember to also keep an eye out for any other potentially far more dangerous Necromorphs in the area, such as Exploders. *A legless Twitcher crawls with the speed of a running Slasher, but their arms are easier to target this way. *If they become too hard to target because of their speed and your Stasis energy is low, use the Ripper to cut down both legs and then both arms, with one or two shots. With an upgraded Ripper, you should be able to take down this and many other Necromorphs with only one shot. *An interesting thing about the Twitchers is that if they do come up into high speed, a shot in the leg can make them fall to the floor, breaking off their arms and often killing them. Achievable on Medium using a fully upgraded Plasma Cutter or Line Gun. *Twitchers will not die instantly when both arms are removed! They will remain alive and attempt to headbutt you. So in Chapter 9, shoot the three dead marines' heads off so the Infector will not make them into Twitchers. *Twitchers and Slashers are the only Necromorphs whose transformation can be observed. So if there are Infectors and Marine corpses in the same room, do not hesitate in shooting the corpses' heads off. *The Ripper is not always a good choice against a Twitcher, as it will sometimes dodge the saw blade. *Using the Contact Beams primary fire against the Twicher is not recommended. It can easily dodge it, and you will have to either switch weapons or recharge a shot which may be easily dodged again. *In Severed, Twitchers move almost to just as fast as they did in Dead Space, although they are much more resilient. Using stasis is sound advice, especially if you are engaging multiple Twitchers. *In Severed, they also dash side to side randomly, but still moving at the same forward speed making a hit much harder, and making stasis even more valuable. Trivia *The Twitcher is the only Necromorph to receive a total overhaul in both sound and appearance in the sequel. *There is a glitch involving the Twitcher in Dead Space; when you shoot off both arms, it might not die. *In the Dead Space 2: Severed DLC, the Twitcher is thinner and less bulky than the marine version. They have been observed bending backwards and using their arms as support. *Oddly enough the Marines had helmets, but when you look at their Necromorph head there isn't a helmet. This may be because the Infector knocked their helmets off, or the Twitchers' heads grew too large and destroyed the helmets. *A common bug found in Dead Space involves Twitchers and ventilation shafts. Sometimes the player will find a Twitcher running around in circles endlessly, and never attacking Isaac. Shooting them has no effect, but if the player stands in the path of the running Twitcher or strikes the creature, it immediately leaps up into a ventilation shaft either on the roof or in the wall. Sometimes, this can occur even if there isn't a shaft to jump in, at which point the creature leaps through the nearest wall. *When Twitchers run into Gravity Panels, they don't completely dismember, or even get lifted up. They just drop dead. However, as soon as they die they will be affected. *Twitchers are the quickest enemy in the game, even when their legs are dismembered. *The Twitcher is first introduced as soon as you enter the USM Valor. *As Twitchers are also encountered on the Aegis VII colony, it is likely that they are created from any RIG wearer outfitted with a Stasis module. *When killed, they will gibber and mutter incoherently for a short while, then remain silent. *In the special death sequence, the Twitchers stare at the player for a few moments before skittering off, breaking the fourth wall. *The tendrils of brain inside a Twitcher's head will wiggle around even when the Twitcher is dead. *It is also unknown what it is coming out of a Twitcher's head, and there are many theories as to what it is. *It appears odd that there are no Twitchers in Dead Space 2, as there are many bodies of security forces throughout the Sprawl. *While Twitchers are not present in Dead Space 2, they make a comeback in Dead Space 2: Severed DLC. Instead of marines, the Twitchers are made from the corpses of Sprawl security officers. Now rather than charging in one direction they zig-zag as they close in on the player, making them more difficult to hit. *Sometimes the helmet lights on the infected Security Officers are still lit, making them easier targets to identify in dark areas on Titan Station. *The two "Men in white" that Gabe encounters along with Lexine near the end of the DLC are unique from any other Sprawl Twitcher in that they do not possess Security Suits, nor the indicative flashlight. (They, instead wear the suits of the "Men in white".) *The Twitcher's sounds appear to be made of distorted vowel sounds in Dead Space. But in Dead Space 2: Severed, their sounds are completely unintelligible. *Occasionally on Dead Space 2, a Slasher wearing some of the Officers' armor will appear: It is unknown why weren't they transformed into Twitchers. In fact the Twitcher model is the same as the Officer Slashers. Death Scene *A rare but special death sequence occurs if Isaac is aiming his weapon while the Twitcher finishes off his health. The Twitcher tears off Isaac's right arm in its frenzied swinging. Isaac looks at the stump on his arm in a dazed shock, and the Twitcher suddenly swings its blades right into Isaac. At first, it appears the blade swing didn't do anything, but then Isaac suddenly leans forward and his upper torso falls off to the floor. His legs walk a few steps before also falling to the floor. The Twitcher then stares into the screen before dashing off. This death scene is not present in Dead Space 2 Severed DLC. *If Isaac is hit by a Twitcher's barrage of slashes while he is low on health, Isaac will simply be split in half. thumb|left|300px|The special Twitcher death sequence Gallery File:166608 494989571658 18523496658 6336114 4873027 n.jpg File:Oracle twitcher front.bmp.jpg|The Oracle Twitchers. File:Oracle twitcher back.bmp.jpg Twitcher_2.png|Extreme close-up to the face DeadSpaceSeveredNecroTwitcher.jpg|The Police Twitcher from Dead Space 2 Severed Nueva imagen (1).jpg|Face of the Police Twicher 870997-twitcher_super.jpg|The Soldier Twitcher from Dead Space 1 Appearances *''Dead Space'' • Chapter 9: Dead on Arrival (First appearance)'' '' *''Dead Space 2: Severed'' Sources